Peace and Quiet
by ICantThinkofanOriginalName
Summary: Brick is tired of sharing a space with two brothers and a monkey, Blossom is taking advantage of her newfound freedom, and the tiny apartment seemed like the perfect place them to get away from their families. Too bad they didn't stop to consider that their families would actually just follow them there. Is a little peace and quiet too much to ask for? Sequel to "Ice and Fire."


**_Like the summary said, this is sort of a sequel to another story of mine called "Ice and Fire." However, I tried to write this so readers don't necessarily have to read the other one to understand this story. I hope I did okay with that. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know!_**

**_Rated T for language and suggested adult themes._**

* * *

_10 people can paint a building in 5 days. If each person paints as quickly as the others then how much of the building could 7 people paint in 5 days?_

Ten people...in five days...how much could seven...?

"DAMMIT."

And here Brick was, thinking that math was actually his strong point. Stupid, stupid, _stupid. _He flung the workbook against the nearest wall and flinched when it left a sizable dent. Great. Less than one week in the new apartment and he had already broken something. Fan-fucking-tastic. Blossom was sure to be _thrilled. _Hopefully, he would be able to fix it before she made it home from school for the day. Which would be in about...five minutes. Well, nevermind then. He was screwed.

Blossom was just beginning her second semester at Townsville University. She was still barred from superhero duty - stupid Townsville city hall not _trusting _her to protect the city while she was involved with a "known villain." Whatever. And then there had been that whole debacle with her roommate the previous semester and, well...she had enjoyed her time away from home, but not enough to deal with the roommate from hell. Luckily for her, Brick had been looking into apartments of his own at the time and just so happened to need a roommate himself. The Professor, needless to say, hadn't approved, but, then again, he had never really trusted Brick in the first place, so that wasn't new. But poor Blossom...had a lot on her mind at the moment.

Then again, with everything going on maybe she wouldn't notice the new dent in the wall. The living room was still a disaster of boxes and half-assembled furniture from the move, after all. Perhaps...

Shit, there were footsteps on the landing. They got closer, closer, closer. Mumbled voices. One was clearly Blossom's, but the other sounded like...no. Oh _hell _no. Brick was not in the mood for this. And there was the key in the lock. Brick scooped up the abused workbook and shoved it under a random pile of soon-to-be of furniture. He hadn't told Blossom about getting his GED yet, and he really would prefer not to have that conversation in front of guests. He had a reputation to uphold, after all.

The door swung open just as the book was put out of sight. There was Blossom, laughing awkwardly and obviously forcing a smile as she allowed HIM to enter in front of her. "No, really, I insiiiist," the red creature trilled as he walked through the doorway. It had become apparent in the last six months that Brick's lobster-father/mother-figure had actually been completely serious about the whole "wanting a daughter" thing and had clamped his claws down on Blossom as hard as he could. Blossom, for her part, had tolerated it considerably better than Brick ever would have been able to. Maybe it was the "everything nice" part of her that made her unable to say no to the demon's repeated invitations to tea.

Blossom's forced laugh broke through Brick's reverie. "Look who decided to walk me home, _sweetie_." Uh oh. Blossom only used terms of endearment when she was annoyed. In this case, it was easy to see why. Him had already made his way into their living room and sat himself down on the only fully-assembled piece of furniture they had. Said demon cast his eyes around the disaster of a room and clucked with disapproval.

"No, no, this simply will not doooo," the thing lamented. "Such abominable taste. Don't tell me Brick picked everything out, dear girl?"

"Well, he makes most of the money, so it's only fair-"

"Oh nooooo, no child of mine is going to be allowed to live in such _drab _conditions. Really, I thought you had better taste than this." The lobster-being was picking at the brown leather of the tiny sofa, and Brick winced as the claws left small indentations on the armrest. That damn thing had cost him an arm and a leg.

Ever since Blossom's insistence that they make an 'honest' living, Brick had been working for a major contractor in downtown Townsville. It was amazing how much people would pay for a decent renovation in monster-destroyed homes, and the recommendation of a Powerpuff - regardless of whether she was an active hero at the time or not - did wonders for a person in the job market. Not to mention that any employer would pay through the nose for a worker who was ten times stronger and faster than the average employee. Okay, so maybe finding work had been pretty easy for Brick. But that couch had still cost a lot of money, dammit!

Blossom sent Brick a longsuffering look, and he stood and crossed his arms. "Hey, so, not that we don't appreciate you comin' over - and trust me, we really _don't _appreciate it - but could you, ya know, get the hell out?"

Him feigned indignation and started to fan himself with a claw. "Oh, my dear boy! All I wanted was to visit my _favorite_ power couple in their new home! But, I _suppose _if I'm not welcome..." Him trailed off, and his face fell into the ugliest fake pout Brick had ever seen.

"Nope, you're not, now go."

"Brick! Don't be rude." Blossom threw him a warning look, and he threw his hands up. There went Miss "Everything Nice" again. And need he remind her that she had been just as annoyed with the creature's presence just a few moments again? Him, however, trilled happily. Damn. To think they had almost gotten rid of him.

"Oh, dear girl, _that's _why yoouuu'rrre my faaaavorite," that lilting voice was filled with triumph, and he swept across the room pinch Blossom's cheek - in what was apparently a sign of 'affection' - with one of his claws. She winced and rubbed at her face. Serves her right. That's what she gets for taking the demon's side.

Him was now wandering around the small apartment, muttering about the 'pitiful' state of the small space. Brick grimaced. Yeah, it was a pretty crappy apartment, but it was just a starter place! A few more months working and he would be able to afford somewhere nicer for him and Blossom. She said she didn't mind the run-down apartment, but he knew she was used to better. And dammit, he was gonna get her the best damn place he could afford. It was just...a matter of time...

Blossom finally made her way over to where Brick was standing and wrapped her arms around his stomach, drawing his attention away from the lobster that was now poking around in the kitchen.

"How was work today," she asked while resting her head on his shoulder. Brick breathed in the slight smell of roses that always seemed to be present in her hair.

"Oh, ya know, drywall and hammers and all that. How was your day, babe?" Brick grumbled into her ear. She picked at some imaginary lint on his shirt and smiled slyly up at him

"Oh, you know, labs and classes and all that. It's too bad I couldn't focus at all today, though." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Oh?" Brick leaned down somewhat.

"Yeah. I just couldn't stop thinking about this really cute guy I know, you know what I mean?"

"Mmm, lucky bastard." He closed the last of the space between them and took her mouth with his own. Her arms tightened around his midsection and he lifted her slightly to bring them even closer together.

There was a flash of light, and the two of them broke apart from each other to find HIM shaking out a photo that had just been released from the old-fashioned polaroid camera he had conjured up from somewhere. "Oooohhhh, don't stop on my account you two. I just haaaad to capture that for the scrapbook."

"Scrap...book?" Blossom whispered. She looked mortified.

"Oh, yeeessss, just something to show the grandkids later on."

"Alright, that's it, get out." Brick moved to grab the unwelcome guest and throw him out, but the room filled with a thick, heavily perfumed mist before he could reach HIM. "Don't be rude boy," HIM said, his voice taking on the deep, layered baritone that indicated his anger. Brick rolled his eyes. That voice hadn't scared him in ten years. "Anyways, Blossom, my dear, don't forget Friday at seven sharp!" With an obnoxiously flamboyant wave, HIM was swept up into a swirl of deep purple fog, and when the room cleared of the smoke Blossom and Brick were alone.

Brick narrowed his eyes in Blossom's direction. "What's Friday?"

She chuckled nervously. "Oh, um, it seems that HIM has decided to throw a housewarming dinner with the family."

"...Where?"

"...Here?"

Brick kicked a box. "Dammit! We haven't even finished packing yet, and he wants to come over for dinner?"

"With the family."

"What does that even mean?!"

Blossom hesitated before answering. "It seems that he has invited both of our families."

Brick kicked the box again, his foot going clear through the side this time. He proceeded to decimate the box, while Blossom simply stood and watched, her face a mask of apparent indifference.

"Are you quite done? There's something else I have to tell you."

"Oh really? What would that be? Is HIM moving in with us now?"

"No, it's about your brothers."

Brick's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he snarled, "You didn't," through gritted teeth.

"I did."

"What the hell, Blossom! I specifically told you-"

"They are your brothers and they miss you!"

"I saw them _yesterday!"_

"For five minutes! Boomer has been going crazy! He's been texting me all day asking about you. I received eighty-two messages during my microbiology lab alone!"

Brick rubbed at his face, as though trying to physically wipe the frustration off. "You don't know 'em like I do. There's a reason I didn't tell them where we're living. They destroy everything! We've got one good piece of furniture in this place right now, and excuse me for wanting to keep it usable!"

A sly smile spread across Blossom's face, and she took a step towards him. "Oh, I don't think that's true. No, I think we have _two _good pieces of furniture."

Brick paused and shot her a strange look. "What the hell are you talking about. We've both been to busy to actually put a damn thing together."

That smile was still there, and she took yet another step. "Oh, I don't know, our mattress seems pretty nice."

"Nice? It doesn't have a frame or box spring or anything! It's just sittin' on the floor right now."

"Oh, I think it's very nice." Another step closer. Her voice was dropping into a rough whisper that Brick didn't get to hear very often. "And, since your brothers aren't supposed to be here for another oh," she pretended to check an imaginary watch on her wrist, "say, two hours, maybe I could _show _you just how nice it is."

Brick's face colored slightly as a caught on, and he quirked an eyebrow at her. It was his turn to take a step towards her. "Oh? And what did you have in mind for that?"

Step. "As I told you, I was _very _distracted today."

Brick grasped her by the elbows and pulled her hard against him. "How's about you tell me _exactly _what you were thinking about all day, eh babe?"

"Well, you know, I could just _show you..." _Blossom was cut off by Brick swinging her up into the air with a slight growl, and she giggled as she was thrown over his shoulder and taken to the door that sat slightly ajar on the other side of the living room. The door was slammed open, the doorknob leaving a small hole in the wall from the force of the push, and Blossom was dropped rather unceremoniously onto the bed.

"I don't think we'll be getting the security deposit back," she joked.

"Deposits be damned," he growled, now leaning over her.

* * *

"You're brother's ought to be here soon." Brick had been mindlessly playing with Blossom's hair, but paused when she finally spoke.

"Damn, I guess you're right."

"I always am," she told him with a smug smile. She was tangled haphazardly in the bedsheets, her hair splayed across Brick's chest and pillow. Brick found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of her.

_Crash_

They both shot up in the bed and sent a concerned look in the other's direction. Brick slowly stood up from the mattress and grabbed the pair of pants that had been flung down next to it, quietly slipping them on. Blossom wrapped the sheet tighter around herself and stood as well, looking from Brick to the door. He nodded at her unspoken request, his fists clenching, and flung it open.

"Oh, hey Bro."

Butch and Boomer were lounging on the small couch, the latter apparently engrossed by his phone. Butch, however, was smiling like a maniac and shot his brother a thumbs-up. "Good job man," he said with a cackle.

"How the hell did y'all get in here!"

Butch's smile widened, but Boomer cowered slightly and set his phone down.

"We knocked..." the blond said tentatively.

"Yeah, nobody answered, so I picked the lock." Butch lazily twirled a bobby pin in his fingers. "Ya seemed pretty _busy, _and we didn't wanna bother ya." He finished off with a wink in Blossom's direction, and her face flushed a deep scarlet. Brick was seething, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"And ya know what, lil' Red," Butch said, standing up and eyeing Blossom, "if ya ever decide to end it with my bro, my bed is _always _open." Another wink. Apparently the idiot didn't know when to shut up.

"Butch," Brick snarled.

"By the way man, congrats. Sounded like ya really know what you're doin'."

"Butch, I don't think-" Boomer tried to stop his brother, but the idiot just kept on talking.

"Don't get mad at me! It ain't like this is the first time we walked in on 'em. Remember back at Mojo's when they were-"

Brick's fist connected with the side of his brother's thick skull.

* * *

Blossom had thrown on a pair of shorts and one of Brick's hoodies - it was far too large for her and hung down nearly to her knees. Brick idly thought about how he liked the way it looked on her and made a mental note to give it to her later.

Butch was lying on the ground, cradling a bag of ice to his face and moaning slightly. Brick rolled his eyes at the sight. Blossom, after getting dressed, had rushed over and immediately started mothering the dumb sap, and Butch was soaking up every moment of it. Idiot. He had taken much worse than that and not even batted an eye many times before. But no, put a girl in the room and all of a sudden the dumbass becomes a baby. And they said Brick was the one going soft.

Boomer, meanwhile, was still seated on the couch and sending nervous glances at Brick every few seconds. Yeah, that's right. He _should _be scared.

"Now, boys," Blossom said as she stood up and brushed her hands off on the hoodie. "If you want to stay here, then you're going to have to make yourselves useful."

"Useful! I ain't never-"

"I'll order you a pizza."

Both Butch and Boomer shot up, the blond saluting slightly."What do ya need us to do, ma'am?"

Brick slapped his hand against his head. Those idiots were gonna be the death of him, weren't they? Blossom, however, giggled at the sight. Brick shook his head at her. Laughing at the weirdos would only encourage them.

"Put the table and chairs together without breaking anything, and you can have all pizza you want."

Interestingly enough, that was enough of an incentive to get the two of them to work. Brick shot Blossom an incredulous look, one that said _How the hell did you do that? _She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

The furniture was assembled quickly, and it looked damn good, too. Blossom scooted the now complete dining set into place and sent the two brothers to start on the last of the living room furniture while she ordered the pizza. Brick leaned against the counter in the small kitchen and watched as his apartment slowly came together without him having to work at all.

He liked that. Or, at least, he did until Boomer pulled a familiar, worn workbook out from its hiding place. Brick flew over and snatched the book away from his brother before anyone else saw it.

"Um, what's-" Brick grabbed Boomer's collar and cut off the question before Blossom could notice. "Not. One. Word." the ginger brother snarled.

"But, ain't that-"

"NOT A WORD."

Confusion took over Boomer's face for a moment before something apparently dawned on him and he smiled sadistically. "Is it a secret?"

"Yes, and if you don't shut up, I'll kick your ass."

"Does your lil' wifey know about it?" The blond's smile was growing ever wider.

"Wifey? What're you-"

"Ya know, I could just let her know right now, orrrrr," that stupid smile was _still _getting bigger, "you could make it worth my while to keep it a secret, ya feel?"

Brick sighed and shot a look at Blossom, who was trying to explain to Butch how the coffee table was supposed to be put together. He looked back at the blond and snarled, "What do you want?"

"Let me stay here from time to time."

"NO!"

"But brooooooo," the blond whined. "I don't like livin' with Butch!"

"You've always lived with him!"

"And I've always hated it! And _you _left me alone with him! You owe me!"

"What are you two doing?" Blossom was looking at them now, her hands on her hips. Brick slid his hands away from his brother's throat and instead threw his arm around his shoulders. Boomer, for once, caught on and did the same.

"You were right, babe, I just really missed my bros."

Her face softened, and she clapped her hands together happily. Butch, meanwhile, let out a loud whining "broooooo" and shot over to his brothers, enveloping them both in a massive, vice-like bear hug. "It may be soft as all fuck to say it, but I love ya too, man."

How his brothers had ended up so stupid, Brick would never know. He supposed he was partially responsible for it, not forcing them to read or anything.

"You guys are so cute!" Blossom squealed, and the group broke apart. Butch and Boomer were grunting and shaking themselves off, slapping each other on the shoulders in a show of apparent 'manliness' as if that would cover up for their soft moment. "You know what, you guys just go ahead and catch up. I'm going to go and get the pizzas, okay?" She grabbed her bag and walked out the front door, locking it behind her. Brick was suddenly alone with his two brothers, one of which - Butch - was still clinging to him for dear life.

"Get the hell off me," he snapped at the green-eyed fool.

"No fuckin' way. I love ya man, ya know that? Why'd ya have to go 'n leave us?"

Brick sighed and patted his brother on the back. He hated it when Blossom was right. Might as well throw the guys a bone. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I swear if you tell Blossom I said this, I'll kill both of you. But I guess...you guys...are alright."

Boomer swept in and took over as the bear in that travesty of a hug. "Oh, man, I knew ya loved us. I just knew it."

"Shut up, no I don't."

"Yeah ya do, man. Just say it."

"No." Brick tried to make his voice flat and commanding, but his brothers apparently weren't having it.

"Don't ruin this for me, bro."

"Yeah, just say it."

"Say it or I'll tell Blossom about that book you're tryin' to hide."

"What book?"

"The ged book."

"What is a ged?"

Brick had to cut off the back and forth between the two of them before he lost any more brain cells. "It's GED, ya stupids."

"Whatever it is, I'll tell her if ya don't say it."

"Say what?" Maybe if he just talked circles around them for long enough, they would drop the whole thing?

They eyed him angrily. Then again, maybe he couldn't talk his way out of this one. "Ya know, what we jus' said."

"No."

"Say it!" Butch growled and clamped his hand down on Brick' shoulder and squeezed - hard.

"Fine!" Blue and green eyes looked at him expectantly before Brick began to stammer out, "I guess...If I'm bein' honest...and I swear if ya tell anyone I'll kill both of ya...but...I mean...I guess...I love you guys too."

His two brothers started yelling and slapping at his back in celebration, and Brick just shook his head and sat down on the couch. They were fools, the both of them.

"Man, if gettin' you laid was the only way for you to admit it, then I woulda set you up years ago."

Brick was going to hit the green-eyed twat for that comment, but Boomer beat him to the punch - literally.

"Shut up man, Blossom's cool."

The two of them flopped down on either side of Brick, and they sat in a contented silence for a moment before Boomer piped up with, "But really, what is a ged?"

"I told ya, its GED. It's like a test, see? So I can get a high school diploma and, I dunno," Brick rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, "I was kinda thinkin' about...maybe goin' to school or somethin'...it's...pretty stupid..." Brick trailed off.

"Why don't you want Bloss findin' out?"

Brick thought about it for a moment. "I guess if I tell her and then fail, then she'll be, I dunno, disappointed in me..."

"Nah, man. You're the smart one. If any of us were gonna do the whole school thing, it was gonna be you," Butch told him, Boomer nodding sagely from Brick's other side.

"Yeah, bro. I mean, you're the one that got a job an' all, and now you got your own place and a wifey..."

Brick colored. "Please stop calling her that."

"Point is, bro, you're a _grown up. _You're like...responsible or somethin'."

"Not really. That's all Blossom."

"No man, that's _you."_ Boomer slung an arm around Brick's shoulders, and Butch did the same from the other side. "That's why you're claw-mom's favorite."

"No I ain't," Brick said defensively. He mentally shook himself. His grammar was getting worse every moment he spent with these two. Shame. It had gotten so much better from spending so much time around Blossom.

"That's right, Bloss is Mama's favorite now."

"Oh yeah. They still havin' tea parties and shit?"

"It would seem so," Brick muttered darkly. He had been trying to keep the crustacean from literally sinking his claws into her, but it seemed like every effort he made just amused the creature. Blossom was a damn saint for putting up with it.

"Is she still workin' at that coffee shop?"

Brick growled at the question. "Kinda has to, doesn't she? The fuckin' city won't..." he trailed off before he began to rant again. Those damn officials not letting her help her sisters was utter crap, and the whole city knew it. Buttercup and Bubbles had gotten their asses handed to them more than once because they didn't have their 'commander and leader' out there to help them. And for what? All because she was dating an ex-con. What a bunch of dumbasses.

"That's bullshit," Butch grunted. That was, indeed, the best way to describe the situation.

"Don't I know it?" They sunk into silence for another brief moment before Butch spoke again.

"Sooooo...are we really invited to dinner on Friday?"

Brick was going to kill the crimson demon someday. "Apparently," he grunted in reply.

"Soooooo...your world-famous spaghetti with cereal for dessert?"

"I don't know how to make anything else, do I?"

"No you do not," Butch said, emphasizing his point with a grimace. "And I don't wanna get Cinderella again."

"It's salmonella, dummy," Boomer said, trying to hide a proud smile as his brothers shot him a confused look. "That's right, I know words. Lobster-mama ain't the only one hangin' with Bloss."

Brick stared at the blond as if he had grown two heads. "What are you doing talkin' to my girl?"

Boomer colored slightly and looked down. "Sorry, but can ya blame me? She just listens, man. She's nice and she doesn't tell me I'm stupid or anything like everyone else does. She...she said she thinks I have...potential, and, I dunno, nobody has ever really said that about me, ya know? She's like...one of us, or somethin' now."

"Oh." Brick looked away awkwardly. He had a feeling that he was included in that 'everyone else' that made fun of the blond. "Yeah, she's pretty cool like that. It's that whole 'everything nice' she's got or something."

An awkward silence hung between them, neither really sure of what to say next. Butch, in his infinite wisdom, decided that he didn't like the whole 'emotions' vibe that he was getting from the conversation and decided to change the subject.

"Hey, Brick, no offense man, but ya kinda smell like a girl. What's up with that?"

Brick's eyes lost their focus and a small smirk settled on his face. "Yeah, well, ya see, if a girl asks you if ya wanna try out the new shower in y'all's place, it's kinda hard to say no." His brothers looked at him in awe.

"You're a fuckin' genius, man."

Brick was spared from having to continue the conversation by the sound of keys in the hallway. All three brothers sprung up and ran to the door to open it, but Blossom had unlocked it and turned the handle before they could reach it. She smiled at the three of them and waved the boxes she was balancing in one hand in front of their faces.

"Are you boys hungry?"

Boomer and Butch were staring at her with wide eyes, the last part of their conversation still apparently on their minds, and Brick slapped the both of them across the back of their heads. "Grab the damn pizzas, ya weirdos."

* * *

"That wasn't so bad, was it," Blossom whispered. She was sitting at the newly assembled dining table, and Brick was next to her with his arm hanging off the back of her chair. The decimated pizza boxes were scattered across the table, taking up most of the limited space available there.

"Guess not," Brick grunted. Blossom sent him a triumphant smile.

"I told you they missed you. Come one, admit it. You know I'm always right."

"No, you're _sometimes _\- very rarely, really - close to bein' correct."

"Oh, Brick. You had a great time and you know it."

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna admit anything."

"Just look at them!"

"So?"

"So? I was right wasn't I?"

"I'm not gonna say you were."

"Then would you like to explain the dent in my living room wall?"

Damn, he had forgotten about that. "Fine. You were kinda almost right this time." Brick's brothers were both sprawled out in the living room, Boomer taking the couch while Butch was simply curled up on the floor. Loud snoring came from both of them as they slept off their food-induced comas. "I guess the weirdos get to spend the night, after all."

Blossom smiled at him again before standing up and stretching. "Well, we ought to go to bed ourselves. We both have work in the morning." She walked into their bedroom before reemerging with two blankets and a couple of pillows. She smoothly slid the pillows under the sleeping boys' heads and spread a blanket over each of them.

"How'd you do that without waking them up," Brick asked.

Blossom sent him a knowing look. "The Professor occasionally stays up late working and sometimes falls asleep on the couch." She walked back over to where Brick was still sitting and held out a hand. "And unless you want to join your brothers, I suggest you listen to my advice and come to bed with me."

"Yes ma'am," Brick said with a smirk and followed her into their room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

_**I think I'll end it there for today. Again, I hope this makes sense to those of you who haven't read the other one. I don't want to force you to read it or anything, so I tried to keep a lot of information pretty general and explain things that otherwise wouldn't make much sense out of context. Like I said at the beginning of the chapter, though, if you have nay questions, just let me know and I'll be happy to clarify! **__**"Ice and Fire" was just one of those stories that I couldn't leave alone, and my "too much" gene finally took over and led to this sequel. **_

_**'T' is a tentative rating for this, and I might change it to 'M' just to be on the safe side. I don't intend to actually write out any 'adult situations', but mentioning them might be enough to warrant a rating change, do you know what I mean? I don't know, let me know what you thik.**_

_**It may be a couple of weeks before another chapter comes out. I am working on two other stories and about to publish yet another in addition to this one. It's a particularly stressful time of the year for me, and writing has just kind of helped me unwind a bit. Thanks for being supportive during this. A lot of people in this community have been really nice to me lately, and I really appreciate it.**_

_**Thank you so much for reading! And to everyone who did read the original, I just want to give a massive "thank you" to you guys. It was, by far, my most successful story, and it really meant a lot to me that so many people were willing to give it a shot. Thank you so so soooo much especially to everyone who reviewed. You guys are all fantastic!**_

_**Until next time.**_

_**-ICantThinkofanOriginalName-**_


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